Regulatory T lymphocytes and selected cytokines in horses with mild to severe equine asthma and different inflammatory cytology profiles

• Published in: Research in veterinary science Vol. 163; p. 104998
• Main Authors: Hamouzová, Pavla, Drábková, Zuzana, Stehlíková, Šárka, Řeháková, Kristína, Čížek, Petr, Dobešová, Olga, Jahn, Petr, Doubek, Jaroslav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Age; ELISA; Flow cytometry; FoxP3; Neutrophils; Tregs; Flow cytometry; FoxP3; Tregs; Age; Neutrophils; ELISA
• ISSN: 0034-5288; 1532-2661
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.104998

This study determined Tregs and inflammatory cytokines in BALF and peripheral blood (PB) of adult horses with mild and severe asthma and different BALF cytological inflammation profiles. Horses of diverse breeds with asthma (age range: 2–20 years, n = 24) were divided into groups according to the number of points obtained in a standardized clinical scoring system (mild-moderate equine asthma – MEA, severe equine asthma – SEA) and according to the inflammation type based on cytological finding. Plasma levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 and MMP-9 in the BALF were determined by ELISA. Tregs in the BALF and PB were detected by flow cytometry. Horses with SEA were older than horses with MEA and had higher concentrations of MMP-9 in the BALF (P < 0.05). The neutrophilic inflammation group was characterised by higher age, grade of clinical score, percentage of Tregs and MMP-9 concentration in the BALF compared to the mastocytic inflammation group (P < 0.05). Age positively correlated with neutrophils, grade of score, Tregs in the BALF and in the PB. The grade of score positively correlated with MMP-9. The percentage of Tregs in the BALF positively correlated with Tregs in the PB. Tregs in the BALF and PB positively correlated with neutrophils and MMP-9 in the BALF and with IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 in the plasma. IFN-γ and IL-10 in the plasma positively correlated with the age. The results indicate that the evaluation of selected parameters in PB, the collection of which is less invasive than the collection of BALF, is of potential importance. •BALF Tregs relative content correlated with blood Tregs in horses with asthma.•Plasma IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 correlated with Tregs in BALF and blood.•BALF Tregs content was higher in neutrophilic than mastocytic inflammation.•Tregs, IFN-γ and IL-10 were positively correlated with age.•Tregs relative content in BALF depended on the cytological type of inflammation.